Overwhelmed

That is how I’m feeling. It seems there is always so much to do. Of course there is the regular stuff like feeding kids 3 meals a day plus at least 2 snacks and trying , mostly unsuccessfully, to have it be real food instead of Halloween candy. Then there’s the laundry, diaper changing, sippy cup filling, school drop off and pick up, homework nagging and general helping that happens every day.

Add in the house cleaning which really hasn’t happened lately. I’d really love to take down the Halloween decorations. Shouldn’t be too hard to put them away since the plastic tote they go in has been in the living room since we put them up three weeks ago.

There’s also the menu plan/shopping list that needs to be completed before Baby Boy wakes up from his nap tomorrow morning so that I can run to Walmart, shop and hopefully get home before it’s time for his next nap. I guess we’ll have to add lunch in there somewhere.

While I’m shopping I have to be sure to stay within the grocery budget but buy enough to last. Then track it all once I get home. While we’re talking about budgeting we have to try to figure out how to pay for National Guard officer dues, Friends of Scouting, a donation to our ward service day, renewing both mine and my husbands drivers licenses, registering the car (which also includes safety and emissions) and buying curtains for our front window. (Now that it gets dark earlier it really isn’t great to have your whole living room and dining room open to the viewing pleasure of the neighborhood.)

Bills to be paid, a package to deliver that will take 1 hour round trip, a yard FULL of leaves to be raked and a box of stuff to be sold on ebay.

There are two piles of shorts in the big boys closet that really need to be removed so they’ll stop wearing them even though the weather has turned cold. Not to mention the pile of my winter clothes on the floor in the basement that need to find a place in my closet.

Speaking of the basement, it’s a disaster. We haven’t put things back together from our remodel this summer. Okay, lets be honest here, there are boxes down there that we haven’t unpacked since we moved here almost 5 years ago. I’m sure they’re full of really important stuff. Our goal was to have the basement cleaned and organized by Thanksgiving. I’m pretty sure that’s NOT going to happen but I still feel responsible to try my best to work on it.

The kitchen counter is full of apples, plums, grapes and pumpkins that need to be juiced, roasted, made into jam or something soon so that they don’t go bad. I’m so glad to have fresh food that we grew or was given to us by great friends but it’s another thing to add to the list.

We’re quickly heading into the holiday season. We have three birthdays this month to plan and pay for. There is one stocking that needs to be made but I can’t start until I find some trim that matches (or is close to) the trim that is on the other stockings which means time spent at stores. I have a list of things that need to be done before Christmas. I wrote it about 2 months ago. Nothing is crossed off yet. So much for starting early.

So much to be done with one arm while holding 25 lbs of wiggly toddler in the other arm (that has a very sore elbow and shoulder from holding said wiggly toddler). Yet all I ever want to do is sleep.

That is why I haven’t been blogging lately.

(Dear family, please don’t think this is a call for help. I’m really okay, just revealing why the posts have been lacking.)

If if helps 90% of my things are still in boxes in my basement. I can’t remember the last time I actually saw the floor of my closet. When Em and her boys came over the other day, Tal headed to my basement, promptly took his shoes off and started to play. Thank HEAVEN he didn’t see the poop on the floor right next to the dead bird!!!!! I so LOVE having inside animals!!! Totally understand feeling overwhelmed!! Love you!!!